Seaside woolly sunflower facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Seaside woolly sunflower
San Francisco, California
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Asterids
Order:	Asterales
Family:	Asteraceae
Tribe:	Heliantheae
Genus:	Eriophyllum
Species:	E. staechadifolium
Binomial name
Eriophyllum staechadifolium Lag. 1816
Synonyms
Eriophyllum stoechadifolium Lag., alternate spelling Bahia artemisiifolia Less. Bahia staechadifolia (Lag.) DC. Eriophyllum artemisiifolium (Less.) Kuntze

The Eriophyllum staechadifolium is a beautiful flowering plant. It belongs to the daisy family. People often call it the seaside woolly sunflower. This plant grows naturally along the coastlines of Oregon and California. You can also find it on the Channel Islands. It loves sandy beaches, dunes, and coastal scrub areas.

What Does the Seaside Woolly Sunflower Look Like?

The seaside woolly sunflower can be different sizes. Its height depends on how much wind and salty ocean spray it gets. It can grow from about 30 centimeters (1 foot) to 150 centimeters (5 feet) tall. Sometimes it grows in small, neat clumps. Other times, it spreads out quite a lot.

Leaves and Flowers

The leaves of this plant can be up to seven centimeters (2.8 inches) long. Some of them might have small rounded sections, like tiny fingers. Each group of flowers, called an inflorescence, has several flower heads packed closely together. These flowers are a lovely golden yellow color.

The center of each flower head is full of 30 to 40 tiny disc florets. Around the edge, there are usually 6 to 6 small ray florets. Each of these ray florets is only a few millimeters long.

Where Does This Plant Grow?

The seaside woolly sunflower is a native plant. This means it has always grown in certain areas. It is found along the Pacific Ocean coast. Its natural home stretches from Oregon down to California. It also thrives on the Channel Islands off the California coast.

Its Favorite Places to Live

This plant prefers specific types of environments. It loves sandy beaches where the waves crash. It also grows well in sand dunes, which are hills made of sand. Another favorite spot is the coastal scrub. This is a type of plant community found along the coast. These areas often have strong winds and salty air. The seaside woolly sunflower is tough enough to handle these conditions.

Images for kids

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  Lizard Tail (Eriophyllum staechadifolium), Marin County